


The Sixth Blight- Chapter One- Leave Not Stone Unturned

by BelleWrites (sunleyemrys)



Series: The Sixth Blight RP [18]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: AU, OC, Role-Playing Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 16:26:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunleyemrys/pseuds/BelleWrites
Summary: Big ass project to turn the collaborative role play writing I've been doing with a group of friends into a cohesive story. Some things will be edited from the original posts.. but this is largely just cleaning it up and putting everything in order. Each major plot point will be its own post with chapters. Hopefully the story will make sense.Other parts in the series happen at the same time as some of the chapters, so if something seems to missing, its likely cause there is a piece of the story not posted yet.  Just please be patient with me.





	The Sixth Blight- Chapter One- Leave Not Stone Unturned

The library made sense to Andryanna. Always had. The distractions of Katari giving Sares and Gisele a tour faded from her mind as she sunk further and further into trying to decode the document before her.

"Banal'ras... Banal'ras Dirth?" She sounded the words out, rolling them over her tongue. "Thats not a Tevinter word. Its older than, the word is almost Dalish. Syntax is different."

Andie wrote the phrase out and consulted notes on the Dalish language. "Banal'ras Dirth... The Secret Hides? No, wrote verb here. The Hidden Secret?" She circled the phrase and looked over at the map.

"OH! Of course! Incorrectly read through out time, it became The Bann's Death. Silly people mistranslating things." Andie quickly wrote the correct name for the place on the map.

"Well that took entirely too long to figure out. Maker I hate not having a cipher to use." She bent her head and began working on the verse of riddles.

As Gisele approached the worktables Andie was bent over her papers, only her blonde head visible to the casual passerby. She would hear the young mage muttering, working some difficult passage out. Gisele waited for a few moments before deciding to interrupt.

"Andie? How is the translation going?" She didn't know why she originally thought it would be quick work, obviously a translation from an ancient language would take time and effort. And Andie was putting in a significant amount of effort.

Lost in her thoughts, Andryanna didnt hear Gisele walk up until she spoke. Letting out a high-pitched shriek as she jumped up, knocking over the chair she had been perched on.

"Oh! Gisele!" Ink was smeared over her face and in her hair. "I didnt know anyone was in here! Jeez."

She righted the chair, motioning for the other mage to sit. "So, this is going, slowly. But I did translate the name of the place. What we know as 'Bann's Death'," She tapped the map and the note she had made on the parchment. "Was really called Banal'ras Dirth, or to loosely translate it, the Hidden Secret."

Grabbing some of her notes, Andie flipped through, "I've only found one other mention of a Hidden Secret, and it was in an old Warden text, dating back to the Second Blight." She passed the pages over to Gisele, it was a mix Trade, Dalish and old Dwarven.

"I havent been able to translate most of that, but using the old Trade to help guide me, I've been able to figure out that this place is some sort of Temple, or Tomb for an ancient being, possibly an old Magister or something." She sighed, tucking hair behind her ears.

"Given enough time, I can figure it out though." She shook her head, grinning at the older woman. "And I am completely boring you with talk of dead languages and history and just, everything I ever get excited about. Sorry."

Originally, Gisele assumed that translating would be quick once you found someone with sufficient skill, but now she realized that assumption was foolish. Andie was translating an ancient language and since it was a cyper, of course it would take time and a significant amount of effort, even for someone who was so skilled and enthusiastic.

"I am not on a deadline so you should take your time, make sure you're happy with the result. I think that accuracy will be of upmost importance since this document is the key to finding the relic."

Gisele looked at her new friend, smiling, " you don't have to worry about boring me. I may not understand it but your enthusiasm is contagious. I have my own interests, so I understand. No one wants to hear me continually talk about plants."

Looking through the documents that Andie had handed her, Gisele realized she had no idea what any of it meant, but she trusted Andie and knew she would do a wonderful job. She was too educated and hard on herself to not excel at the task. "Can I help with anything? I can't help translate but if you could use some assistance I would love to help."

"I like plants! Though I can pretty much only grow mold. Not as useful as the Circle Healers had me believe apparently." Andie smiled happily looking over the scattered piles of papers.

"Sometimes company helps the mind puzzle things out. Back at Hossberg there was a mouser cat that hung out in the library, I use to talk to to him while I worked. Kind of this running dialogue that allowed me to just let some thoughts float around until I could untangle their meanings." She shifted a stack of papers out of a chair so the other woman could sit.

"I cannot tell you how many times I would be talking to empty air and have like a Templar or Senior Enchanter walk in. They must have thought I was bonkers on several occasions."

Andie pulled out an old scroll with an phrase written below an image on it, "I'm looking for this phrase 'Atish'all Dirth ma banal', anytime you see it in these texts, just put a slip of paper there." She dropped a stack of several heavy tomes in front of Gisele. "I'm really close to a breakthrough on this thing, I can feel it. That, or I need to sleep."

The tomes Andie placed in front of Gisele looked intimidating, but at least the mage had given her a task she was capable to completing. Picking up a large leather bound book, she brushed off the dust and grime and opened up to find scratching, extremely small writing. Dreading going through it, she picked up a different book with much friendlier handwriting.

Before starting her task she added, "Thank you so much for helping me with this task. I was given it to complete and knew I needed help but the amount of effort you are going through for someone you just met... well, I want you to know I greatly appreciate it."

She started at her task, carefully following the lines with her finger to not miss a single word.

Andie watched Gisele open a book, scowl and switch to a different one, she giggled, turning the book to examine the spine. Oh, this guy. She thought, understanding.

"I have a giving personality, or so I am told. I'm still puzzled how something like this," she tapped the map and papers. "wasnt in a library or some where equally likely to have it. In the Circle there are rooms of untranslated books, just gathering dust. In the entire time I was there, I maybe translated half a storeroom's worth. Well, translated, catalogued and found places for in the library so others may use them. I," Andie paused, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Didnt have friends there. I was a pariah mostly. If I wasnt working in the library, or practicing my magic, I was probably asleep on a pile of books."

"I guess joining the Wardens has its upsides!" She bent over the texts, flicking through the pages, rapidly writing notes down and muttering to herself. "Nono, Banaldirth, not Dirthmabal! Honestly. Proper conjugation! Ugh!"

Gisele thought over Andie's question, "I assumed it was from the Hossberg library because that is where my mentor was when I received the documents. He had set up a lure of sorts," Gisele chuckled.

"He payed someone to spread a rumor that they had information about crop growing in the Anders soil. Anyways, if he didn't get it from the Circle then I have no idea where it came from. I don't know a lot about his past, though. I assume he fled Tevinter based on stories he told me."

Gisele looked at Andie with her brows puzzled, "I don't know why you would have been a pariah. You're giving and enthusiastic, what's not wonderful about that. Maybe you did not notice that others wanted to befriend you," Gisele winked at Andie to punctuate her teasing.

"Pretty sure I would have met him if he was from my Circle." Andie shrugged, "I wasnt a pariah by choice. Gwyn, ya know the scowly Templar that follows me around? He kind of accused my mentor of stealing diaries, which, kind of true, but we were both chained up in the dungeons, and Nickolaus refused to go down without a fight, and well, Gwyn beheaded him in front of me."

"Rumors spread like wildfire in a place like the Circle, and well, any friends I did have, were suddenly afraid to talk to me because I was the girl who's mentor died at the hands of the Mage Hunter. I was twelve when that happened." She stopped and sighed heavily, feigning a grin. "I mean before that, when my mother, who I never met, heard I was a mage flung herself out of the highest tower in the Circle, killing herself out of shame for passing on her magic."

"I did complete my Harrowing a year sooner than most apprentices though. So I have that going for me. And I got to tutor the younger apprentices, I taught literacy skills and magical theory mostly." Andie leaned back in her chair, draping her hair over the back until it touched the floor. "I always wanted to travel, see the world, get lost in the great libraries. Discover something lost..."

She trailed off, "discover something... discover... lost. OH MY SWEET ANDRASTE! GISELE!" Andie bounced up, scattering papers everywhere. "I know where the cipher is! Oh I am so dumb sometimes, it was staring me in the face this whole time!"

"And you havent a clue what I am talking about." She waved off Gisele speaking. "Doesnt matter. The phrase, the phrase, 'Atish'all Dirth ma banal', the entrance to the hidden journey! I knew I had seen it somewhere before! It was the inscription on one of the diaries Nickolaus stole for me to translate."

"This is huge!" Andie bounced on her toes, giggling happily.

Gisele did not expect their findings to go this direction and was still sorting out what Andie had just said. "Do you know where those diaries are? Are they still at the Circle? Will they even let you look at them?"

Gisele had a very concerned look on her face as Andie continued to celebrate, cheering quietly for the sake of others in the library. "Do you want to return to the circle? So many awful things have happened to you there, because of the Circle. I... I don't think I could follow you. Maybe... maybe Gwyn could go with you? or some of your other friends?"

Andryanna stopped her excited bouncing. "Oh. Uh. Crap. I assume they are still there. I'm a Warden? They would have to allow me to take them?"

She began pacing, fingers tangling in her hair. "I dont want to go back, I dont think I could. But they couldnt lock me up, cause I'm a Warden, and this is the Anderfels, the Wardens rule all. If you were a Warden, you would be protected. We could, disguise you as a Warden."

Andie absently chewed on her hair, "Much as I dont want to travel with Gwyn, he might be the best way to get them to listen to us. Or Sares could come with us, say you were his apprentice. Its hinky, but, you brought this information, you should get to see what it is at least. Seems only fair."

Andie was right, they could figure something out, between pretending to be a warden or returning to her Anderfels guide role something would work because she had a group of people with real authority accompanying her. "I think you're right, my coming could work. The Wardens do rule all here in the Anderfels." She thought on it some more.

"When Sares and I were there, I pretended to be his Anders guide. I know the land well so even if questioned I could continue fulfilling that role. And they are not about to question a group of wardens," she smiled at Andie. "And if Gwyn was the one who originally caught you with the book, think how effective he would be in convincing them you should be able to read it!"

The thought of a new stage of their quest, finally making progress was invigorating, but then she remembered Harris. "I guess this will be the end of another companionship," she thought, her face growing sad as she looked down. She always had to leave for something important, leaving her chances for intimacy and love behind.

"Oh Gwyn. He might take some convincing. Crap." She looked at Gisele's saddened face, "wait, you're sad about something. Why? What is it? You wouldnt want return to Weisshaupt with us? "

Andie sat on the edge of the table, resting her chin in her hands. "I've never gossiped before. Do tell."

Lost in her head, Gisele didn't realize she was projecting her feelings so effectively. "Oh, I... Well, I hope it's not gossip!" she said winking playfully at the mage. Gisele paused, seriousness returning to her expression, she explained, "I just, I am never in one place long enough. I find people that I like, that I trust, or could even love, but then I have to leave."

She thought against telling Andie the details, normally she wouldn't, but it had been one too many times she had to push her feelings down. "Do you know Harris, the veteran warden? He... well... we are interested in each other. He was very romantic and I can tell that he is kind. We are supposed to meet tonight, actually," amongst the sadness a smile lit up her face at the remembrance.

The smile quickly turned to sadness again as she continued, "But now I have to leave him and we have not even had the chance to start! Another opportunity, another blessing taken away by duty..." Gisele was fully crying now. Large tears poured down her face faster than she could wipe them away. "I don't know if I can just leave anymore, I've done it too many times. And what if the Circle does decide to keep me? Or if I can't return with you? I will lose new friends as well." By now her shoulders were shaking and she could not keep back the sobs.

Andie wrapped her arms over the tall woman, "Oh nonono, Gisele. I wont let the Circle keep you. I think I met Harris, briefly, he seemed nice. The Circle doesnt get to keep free mages, not on my watch. And if I fail, I will cry until Gwyn convinces them to free you."

"You dont have to leave. Not ever. I promise." She stroked Gisele's dark hair, trying to soothe her. "I dont know if I can make a promise like that, but I'll throw a fit if they try to make you leave. I spent enough time around children, I can throw major tantrums."

The two women had not heard Katari enter. They hadn’t seen the Orlesian Imperial Rose tucked into the copy of The Compendium Of Diseases. They hadn’t sensed him as he eavesdropped from behind a nearby shelf.

Harris and Gisele?

It seemed clear now. The gardens, the flirting...Gisele must have really cared for Harris. They must have had a connection in the gardens that Katari could now only dream of. He stared at the rose, and silently cursed himself.

He walked out from behind the bookshelf to the sight of Gisele bawling her eyes out, and Andie comforting her with her smooth voice. Her maker-damned voice of silk.

“Oh, sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting,” he feigned, acting as though he hadn’t heard anything. “Lady Gisele, Harris wanted me to give this to you.” He placed the book on the table, retrieving the Rose and holding it out to her. “He said that no matter what happens, you would always be...his...uh...flower.”

Not the smoothest performance, but hopefully it gave the woman comfort.

He gently patted the woman on the back.

“What’s the matter? Did something happen?”

Gisele was confused when she picked up her head and saw Katari, "This is for me?" she questioned, and took the flower that was offered to her. It was the same rose they first smelled together, an Orlesian Imperial Rose, deep red and an intoxicating scent. The sweetness of the gesture filled her with happiness and she smiled through her tears as the sobbing subsided, "Thank you, Katari." What a sweet young man, she thought.

"I'm okay," she said more clearly now, "I am probably tired and things have a way of catching up with you when you least expect it." She looked up at Katari, and remembering his feelings for Andie and the rough time he had been having lately, invited him to join them, "Please, come and sit with us. We are trying to plan a trip." She patted on the chair next to her.

He was glad that Gisele was appreciative. Helping her filled him with some otherworldly fulfillment, and he couldn’t help but think of the spirit that Maeve had sent away. Perhaps it was still gazing down at him?

“A trip? Does this have to do with the translation you were working on?” He closed the book. His studying could wait for a while.

Andie nodded, arm still draped over Gisele's shoulders. "There are some books at the Hossberg Circle I need. Provided I can convince them to let us leave with them that is."

She looked at the heavy book he had been carrying, "Whats that?" Andie shifted to read the spine, The Compendium Of Diseases. "Oh, that book. Why are you studying that one?"

“Oh this? I’m studying healing now. This book is courtesy of Maeve.”

The Hossberg circle? That’s where she and Gwyn were from, wasn’t it?

“So wait, when are you going? Will the First even ALLOW that? We’re still under supervision.”

Gisele tried to offer some hope for their situation. "Perhaps the First can be convinced of the tasks importance. And if he really doesn't like you then you can remind him the trip will get you out of here, away from him"

Gisele sniffed, "you're studying healing, Katari? It's a very useful and admirable skill. Who is Maeve? A senior warden?"

"I'm pretty sure we can convince the First to let us go. Maybe, possibly." Her face fell, "I hope."

"Isnt she that weird person in the tower? Wasnt she yelling earlier?" Andie shook her head. "Its been fairly quiet here, so I havent really noticed much."

Andie absently flipped open the Compendium, making a face at one of the diagrams. "So glad I have no talent whatsoever in Healing magic." She slammed the book closed and pushed it toward Katari.

He reopened the book.

“Hopefully. Though he isn’t quite amused, given the fact that we left our joining. Or flipped Gwyn out of bed.” He stared at Andie. Tiberius had been punished with infirmary-work. What was hers?

“That reminds me though. Mae... the First told me to ask you something. When we get the chance, I have a favour to ask you. For now though, I’d love any help I could get with this.” He flipped open the book.

Chapter 1 Of 30: Qualities of a disease.

Maker. This was not going to be fun.

Her eyebrows raised, "Oh? Is it Warden business? No offense meant Gisele." The dark haired waved a hand, understanding.

"Do you want to take a walk? I've been sitting here for ages and really need to stretch my legs." She hopped off the table, tossing her quill onto a stack of paper and began hunting for a cloth to clean her hands and face with.

"Besides, saves you from reading that for a bit." Andie scrunched her nose at the book. "Sorry, anything healing related weirds me out, cause you're pretty much reshaping someone else's body, and to me, it just feels too close to blood magic. Which I know is a strange way to look at healing magic."

Gisele's horrified look shut her up with a sheepish smile, "Sorry? Its, just, I cant wrap my head around it, so it scares me a little."

He happily slammed the book shut, having only read the beginning of the first chapter.

“I would love to take a walk! It...yes. Warden business.”

His mind raced.

Is it Warden Business the only reason she wants this walk?

He grabbed the book and stood from the table. When the two were a fair bit away from Gisele, Katari spoke again. “It’s something to do with a prisoner. The First...”

Maker, what did Maeve tell him to say?

Lying to Andie felt terrible. He couldn’t believe that he was doing this. And yet, crossing Maeve was a fool’s decision.

“He said to help you. With the prisoner.”

Her eye narrowed, "First he tells me to tell no one, then the 'prisoner' has me bring Gwyn down to see him. Now you're telling me that you're suppose to help me. Are you being punished too? Cause, Maker, my punishment makes absolutely no sense. I dont what I am suppose to learn from talking to Anndeerrr...s..." Andie clamped her hands over her mouth, eye wide.

She had definitely said his name though, "Anders", the mage who started the Uprising.

 “Anders?” He was puzzled. Wasn’t she an Anders? “What do you mean? Like, Gisele? I thought you were from the Anderfels as well?”

Was she supposed to learn from this prisoner as well? Even more questions filled Katari’s mind, along with guilt at having lied to Andie. But now the path was set before him, and the two of them had to walk it.

“Lead the way, I suppose. I’m meant to see the prisoner.”

"Not Anders the nationality, Anders the mage." She studied his blank look. "You seriously dont know who Anders is? He is the Warden who started the Mage Uprising, surely you've heard of the Kirkwall Chantry being blown up, right?"

Andie's mind raced, had Katari lived under a rock all these years? Even the most remote of people had heard of Anders. Most assumed he was dead of course.

The Kirkwall chantry? Maker. Katari had no idea that the apostate who did that was named Anders.

“I’ve heard of the events... apostate massacres a chantry, Mage-Templar war starts as a result. But the name...I’ve never heard the name. Why would he even be here?”

She held up a finger, mouth falling open, "I... have no idea, not really. Hes not exactly the most sane of people. I know he is a Warden, the First is really annoyed that hes here, and it seems hes been here for years."

"I think I am suppose to help him with something, or he's suppose to help me. He knocked Gwyn out, Healed him, took some of Gwyn's blood, told him he needed to get off of lyrium, and then sent a list of," She slapped her forehead. "Oh Maker! I need to visit my room, there is probably a list of supplies I need to fetch for him! I got so side tracked with the weird Old Tevene map and paper I forgot."

Andie grabbed his arm, pulling Katari along to her room, "Come on, I dont know how time sensitive that vial of blood is, or whatever it is he wants to do with it, but I really dont wanna get on the bad side of an abomination."

Vial of blood? Abomination?

For someone so nervous around blood magic, this seemed incredibly strange and out of character. But Andie was trustworthy. She knew what she was doing, and if she felt safe with it then he would be as well.

Andie’s room looked much the same as it did yesterday morning. Granted, there was no broken ceramics this time around, but everything else seemed eerily similar. He passed the spot where he fell...where they kissed. And suddenly he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“There’s... I need to be honest with you.”

Maker, where to start.

“It wasn’t the First that sent me, it was Maeve. She told me that this prisoner could help me — I had no idea it was the man who started the war. And an abomination? I’ve no idea what she’s thinking, or how he could help either of us. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to lie to you, but I didn’t want to cross Maeve. A stupid reason, I know.”

He held his tongue, waiting to see how she reacted. Her response would dictate whether he mentioned everything else.

Andie presses her lips together into a firm line. “Maeve is, what? A mage? The person in the tower? And why did she tell you to talk to me about Anders?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot and drumming her fingers on her elbow.

She doesn’t seem happy.

“Yes...well... she didn’t use names. But yes. She told me it would help me learn healing magic. But she seemed to know you had the key, and that the First had given it to you”

Perhaps it was best to keep quiet about Tiberius and Andie then.

“I am truly sorry. I didn’t want to lie to you.”

"Well, shes not wrong, Anders is cited as one of the great Spirit Healers to ever come from a Circle." She tapped her foot, thinking. "I really dont like this Katari. But, I trust you, and I trust myself to be able to handle any problems that could arise from this."

She snatched up the sealed note sitting on her desk, "Sneaky Wardens leaving things." Andie tore open the seal, quickly reading over the list. "Oh, this is pretty normal stuff. Warwick will have most, if not all of this on hand."

Andie tucked the paper into her pocket, slinging a bag over her shoulder, "Well? Come on then." She stopped at the door, staring at the large Qunari, "oh, and I am going to inform Anders that this Maeve knows about him."


End file.
